Originally Posted by Bwana:
Once again, don't come in this thread with some kind of political agenda, or you will be shown the door. If you want to go that route, there is a thread about this in DC.
Originally Posted by Dartgod:
People, there is a lot of good information in this thread, let's try to keep the petty bickering to a minimum.
We all have varying opinions about the impact of this, the numbers, etc. We will all never agree with each other. But we can all keep it civil.
Thanks!
Click here for the original OP:
Spoiler!
Apparently the CoronaVirus can survive on a inanimate objects, such as door knobs, for 9 days.
California coronavirus case could be first spread within U.S. community, CDC says
By SOUMYA KARLAMANGLA, JACLYN COSGROVE
FEB. 26, 2020 8:04 PM
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating what could be the first case of novel coronavirus in the United States involving a patient in California who neither recently traveled out of the country nor was in contact with someone who did.
“At this time, the patient’s exposure is unknown. It’s possible this could be an instance of community spread of COVID-19, which would be the first time this has happened in the United States,” the CDC said in a statement. “Community spread means spread of an illness for which the source of infection is unknown. It’s also possible, however, that the patient may have been exposed to a returned traveler who was infected.”
The individual is a resident of Solano County and is receiving medical care in Sacramento County, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The CDC said the “case was detected through the U.S. public health system — picked up by astute clinicians.”
Officials at UC Davis Medical Center expanded on what the federal agency might have meant by that in an email sent Wednesday, as reported by the Davis Enterprise newspaper.
The patient arrived at UC Davis Medical Center from another hospital Feb. 19 and “had already been intubated, was on a ventilator, and given droplet protection orders because of an undiagnosed and suspected viral condition,” according to an email sent by UC Davis officials that was obtained by the Davis Enterprise.
The staff at UC Davis requested COVID-19 testing by the CDC, but because the patient didn’t fit the CDC’s existing criteria for the virus, a test wasn’t immediately administered, according to the email. The CDC then ordered the test Sunday, and results were announced Wednesday. Hospital administrators reportedly said in the email that despite these issues, there has been minimal exposure at the hospital because of safety protocols they have in place.
A UC Davis Health spokesperson declined Wednesday evening to share the email with The Times.
Since Feb. 2, more than 8,400 returning travelers from China have entered California, according to the state health department. They have been advised to self-quarantine for 14 days and limit interactions with others as much as possible, officials said.
“This is a new virus, and while we are still learning about it, there is a lot we already know,” Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “We have been anticipating the potential for such a case in the U.S., and given our close familial, social and business relationships with China, it is not unexpected that the first case in the U.S. would be in California.”
It is not clear how the person became infected, but public health workers could not identify any contacts with people who had traveled to China or other areas where the virus is widespread. That raises concern that the virus is spreading in the United States, creating a challenge for public health officials, experts say.
“It’s the first signal that we could be having silent transmission in the community,” said Lawrence Gostin, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law. “It probably means there are many more cases out there, and it probably means this individual has infected others, and now it’s a race to try to find out who that person has infected.”
On Tuesday, the CDC offered its most serious warning to date that the United States should expect and prepare for the coronavirus to become a more widespread health issue.
“Ultimately, we expect we will see coronavirus spread in this country,” said Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “It’s not so much a question of if, but a question of when.”
According to the CDC’s latest count Wednesday morning, 59 U.S. residents have tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus — 42 of whom are repatriated citizens from a Diamond Princess cruise. That number has grown by two since Messonnier’s last count Tuesday, although the CDC was not immediately available to offer details on the additional cases.
More than 82,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported globally, and more than 2,700 people have died, with the majority in mainland China, the epicenter of the outbreak.
But public health leaders have repeatedly reminded residents that the health risk from the novel coronavirus to the general public remains low.
“While COVID-19 has a high transmission rate, it has a low mortality rate,” the state Department of Public Health said in a statement Wednesday. “From the international data we have, of those who have tested positive for COVID-19, approximately 80% do not exhibit symptoms that would require hospitalization. There have been no confirmed deaths related to COVID-19 in the United States to date.”
CDC officials have also warned that although the virus is likely to spread in U.S. communities, the flu still poses a greater risk.
Gostin said the news of potential silent transmission does not eliminate the possibility of containing the virus in the U.S. and preventing an outbreak.
“There are few enough cases that we should at least try,” he said. “Most of us are not optimistic that that will be successful, but we’re still in the position to try.”
Originally Posted by cdcox:
A very large percentage of educational costs are personnel. The savings related to empty buildings is less than 15% unless you are talking about permanent changes in how education is delivered (selling buildings, etc.)
Teachers, students and parents all clearly want.place-based face-to-face education. Just hard to do right now.
Ok, so a 10% refund on my property tax is reasonable. That's almost $400...better than a kick in the ass. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Bugeater:
Ok, so a 10% refund on my property tax is reasonable. That's almost $400...better than a kick in the ass.
Did the school district in your geographical area incure any cost related to providing technology to underprivileged students? Tablets, laptops, hotspots? [Reply]
Originally Posted by petegz28:
If I was talking to you I would explain there are several studies like this and some have already been linked. One theory is that the younger children simply do not possess enough "power" to expel enough of the virus to infect others based on the size of their lungs, or lackethereof.
Better theories I have read relate to T-cells and how young children are better suited to killing off the virus quickly and efficiently before they become much of a vector.
Another theory I saw was related to the fact that they are more recently vaccinated and may have some form of cross immunity. (not exactly sure on this one having legs but they are attempting to use the BCG vaccine to mitigate COVID so it is definitely not completely out there)
Either way, it's a fact (according to all the numbers we have now) that they are rarely affected at all by COVID and all signs point to them being negligible regarding the spread of the disease.
Oh and regarding the Kawasaki-like syndrome that the media keeps hyping.. there is ZERO hard evidence of a link to COVID. As a matter of fact the only serious studies I have seen have almost conclusively debunked any link. [Reply]
I'm intrigued by this potential innovation. If you can use this type of air filter to kill the virus indoors and keep the air moving, it could be a major change of fortune for travel and workplaces.
Originally Posted by Rain Man:
I'm intrigued by this potential innovation. If you can use this type of air filter to kill the virus indoors and keep the air moving, it could be a major change of fortune for travel and workplaces.
I would be super skeptical. The problem is that it treats the air drawn into the duct. If a person infected with covid sneezes up a room, it will infect others in the room on its way back through the ventilation system, long before the air containing the infected airborne particles has a chance to reach the special filter. By the time the air recirculates to that filter, it's going to have already infected people or would be dead. It doesn't stay alive airborn long enough for this to be of practical use in my opinion. Especially for larger work areas with infinitely more air volume. [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
It definitely won’t or can’t be business as usual. It’s a ****ed up situation all around
I understand they are likely not a a vector for for this but kids will have to be treated as one until they are 100% show they can’t which might never happen because I assume some still can transmit it and we can’t tell which one will or won’t. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Monticore:
I understand they are likely not a a vector for for this but kids will have to be treated as one until they are 100% show they can’t which might never happen because I assume some still can transmit it and we can’t tell which one will or won’t.
That's my point , it will be hard making that decision and then implementing it in a way that will make parents and government officials comfortable with the decision, we still have some time left before school for more data which could change things and make it easier . [Reply]
Originally Posted by Monticore:
I understand they are likely not a a vector for for this but kids will have to be treated as one until they are 100% show they can’t which might never happen because I assume some still can transmit it and we can’t tell which one will or won’t.
It’s tough.
But waiting until then and keeping them out has pretty massive consequences as well [Reply]
My mom is a molecular biologist. She is not a virologist nor is she any sort of immunology expert.
However, the way she broke it down to me in laymen terms is that the receptor to which this thing binds to invade cells is very short in kids and gets longer as we age. Hence, kids not really getting sick from this on a large scale.
The elderly have really long receptors and get ravaged by the virus. That compounded with pre-existing conditions and overall worse health makes this thing so deadly to the elderly. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Pants:
My mom is a molecular biologist. She is not a virologist nor is she any sort of immunology expert.
However, the way she broke it down to me in laymen terms is that the receptor to which this thing binds to invade cells is very short in kids and gets longer as we age. Hence, kids not really getting sick from this on a large scale.
The elderly have really long receptors and get ravaged by the virus. That compounded with pre-existing conditions and overall worse health makes this thing so deadly to the elderly.
Originally Posted by Monticore:
I understand they are likely not a a vector for for this but kids will have to be treated as one until they are 100% show they can’t which might never happen because I assume some still can transmit it and we can’t tell which one will or won’t.
we're ignoring how many teachers, lunch ladies, secretaries, etc (school staff) will randomly go down and be out for a few weeks at best. the district I teach in has major issues in NORMAL years getting substitutes, I can't even imagine what it's going to be like this year (the range of ages of our subs is 45-75).
there are so many facets to this and so many moving targets that I don't see how we don't quarantine AGAIN by the end of the first semester. [Reply]
I mean, how do you social distance in a bus? I teach in a rural district and most of the school (k-12) comes via bus. you think they're gonna wear their masks (if they're even required to wear them) on in the bus? [Reply]